Diabetes on the rise among pets too

Often the symptom of drinking too much of water is mistaken to be a "healthy" sign.

Mumbai: Sprawled comfortably on the floor of his Dadar home, eight-year-old Bruno, a German Shepherd, shows absolutely no sign of pain as he is given his insulin shot. Once the jab is over, he walks towards his food bowl- a slurry of cereal and lean chicken. In the three years since he was diagnosed with diabetes, Bruno has got used to the routine of two insulin jabs a day.

"My Bruno is a very resilient pet. Not once has he yelped while being injected, or even during his daily blood tests earlier," says Bhavana Karve, a homemaker. "Two injections a day, a low-carb diet and daily walks have kept his blood sugar in control."

Dr Rina Dev, a Bandra-based veterinarian who has trained in bird medicine from New Zealand, says the incidence of animals being diagnosed with diabetes has seen a spurt over the last three years. "One can't say conclusively that this is a new trend. It's just that today we have better means of diagnosis. Besides dogs and cats, many birds, especially the smaller variety, are getting diabetes."

The symptoms of the ailment in animals are quite like those in humans-excessive thirst, frequent urination, wounds taking long to heal, say doctors. Dr Rajiv Gaikwad, who is with the SPCA in Parel, says lifestyle, like a change in food habits, is often a trigger. "It is now common to feed pets pizzas, burgers and colas, which makes them obese and more prone to the chronic disorder."

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Earlier people used to visit a pharmacy or a medical store only when they used to be sick but today there is an evolving trend. Now people have suddenly realized that there is a huge potential in being healthy.